Girls' Frontline: Machinations
by therDynamics
Summary: The commander is excited to await a very rare android with a sniper rifle. She's not very impressed with him. He's happy anyways with her presence. Cover pic is official art from Mica.
1. Chapter 1: Reboot

"She's a beauty, ain't she?"

The other engineer turned from his work to face the other who made that comment.

"You always say that to every rifle model we make." The first engineer laughed, coughed, then spat out some phlegm out of the back of his throat onto the steel floor of the factory.

"Untrue, my dear Rosencrantz, only for the best ones."

"Your dick is talking, Guildenstern," Rosencrantz blandly stated, looking back to the cores inside the T-doll which required much focus, and less of Guildenstern. Guildenstern didn't seem to hear Rosencrantz, and instead caressed the face of the T-doll in progress on the table, eyes closed and unresponsive to the engineer's touch.

"Ah, what delicate and perfect beauty. Such a shame we were not meant to be together, my dear. If this were to be the fresh morning of a mid-spring sunny day, your eyes would be fluttering open to my touch, and we'd embrace to remind ourselves of the fact we are together, and nothing could possibly break our iron bonds to each other. Ah, it's such a shame our circumstances do not allow-"

"Guild, stop monologuing and help me," Rosencrantz interrupted, without taking his eyes off of the cores which required the steady hands and razor focus only an I.O.P. engineer had.

Guildenstern blinked to get rid of his starry-eyed moment of pleasure and helped Rosencrantz out with the delicate job. Several hours later, the job was done. Both engineers let out simultaneous exhales and stepped back to inspect their handiwork.

"I'd say, Rosencrantz, that was a good job we did," Guildenstern breathed out. Rosencrantz could only nod his head back with agreement.

After a few minutes of basking in the relief of having done a good job, Rosencrantz darkly chuckled and wondered, "I wonder which lucky son-of-a-bitch is getting her tomorrow."

"Indeed, Rosencrantz."

The face of a newly-finished IWS-2000 model had no response to either man's comments.

 **Chapter 1: Reboot**

"Commander!"

Silence.

"Com-man-der!"

A grunt.

"We have a new shipment of T-dolls! Do you wish to come out and greet them yourself?"

A pause, then another grunt.

"Oh, alright then. I'll let you know if anything interesting happens!"

A final affirmative grunt, then silence. Kalina sighed.

"I wonder when Commander is going to finally come out of his darn office. He's been so moody lately," the usually-chirpy logistics officer grumbled.

As she moved throughout the command post, the continuous talk and bustle made the place seem more similar to an IKEA rather than anything even remotely military-related. Continuous laughter and chatter permeated through all the halls, everywhere well-lit and casting a warm light over all its inhabitants. Kalina got a good whiff of an appetizing aroma steaming from the kitchen, which was already beginning to draw in several nearby. She, too, was almost caught by it as well before she reminded herself of her job.

" _Right, the newcomers, gotta greet the newcomers first before I can chow down on Springfield's cooking, just a few minutes, you can hold on, Kalina!"_ The mouth-watering aroma slowly dissipated, and soon Kalina arrived at her destination.

"Hello there, everyone!" Kalina announced as she swung the door open. Four pairs of eyes stared back at her. Kalina looked through her catalogue of T-dolls with the faces in the room.

"Let's see… meh… meh… decent… HOLY MOTHER OF JESUS!" Kalina ran out of the room, all of her papers thrown aside as speed down the hall she came from.

"... What was that all about?" one asked, after a pregnant pause. The rest shrugged their shoulders.

"COMMANDER! COMMANDER!" Kalina yelled, knocking on the door to the commander's office.

Silence, then a grunt.

"You got something good today!"

Silence, then a more interested grunt.

"I. O. P. has delivered! We got a IWS-2000!"

A flurry of rustling, thumping, and hoorays ensued from within the office, and within moments, a somewhat portly but jovial man stepped out of the office in perfect uniform, albeit a bit rumpled, and with a dash of cologne.

"Kalina!" the man announced.

"Y-Yes, sir!" Kalina saluted, rather dazed by his sudden transformation from a toad to a man within minutes.

"Lead me!" he announced, pointing his index finger towards the metaphorical horizon, then dashed towards the general direction of where he assumed they would all be, without awaiting Kalina's response. Kalina shook her head to get her composure back, then gave chase to the surprisingly very fast commander, hot on his heels.


	2. Chapter 2: Diagnosis

Chapter 2: Diagnostics

A prominent sigh. Rosencrantz ignored it at first, and tried to focus on his work. After a few minutes of blissful silence, Guildenstern sighed again.

"Would you try to keep it down?" Rosencrantz irritably asked.

"My apologies, dear Rosencrantz. I couldn't help but sigh with wonder with what happen to that fair beauty from which we parted ways."

"You mean that IWS-2000 yesterday?" Rosencrantz deadpanned.

"Indeed! It's just so very sad, our job. We breathe life into beautiful figures, and then we part, never to see them again. I put all my effort into creating perfection, yet they disappear like the wind! Does it not dismay you, Rosencrantz, to see your hard work unrewarded?"

Rosencrantz looked up from the currently silent cores of the newest model he was working on. "I get paid. That's enough reward to do this job."

Guildenstern visibly deflated. "Ah, Rosencrantz, to think that you were such a simple man! I thought you would have aspirations — dreams, passions — other than simple wages! I am disappointed to learn my partner in trade who is so talented with machinery was so dull!"

Rather than get angry, Rosencrantz sighed. "You're right. I've always dreamed of working the magic to get nothing but steel and wires into a being which thinks, feels, and dreams. But now the mystery has been deveiled, and so I'm left with nothing but skills to work with my hands. So I work for the money, and use it to gain a little bit of pleasure in my life. Is that so wrong, Guildenstern?"

Guildenstern harrumphed. "Rosencrantz! When you gaze upon this model," he announced, gesturing to the partly-constructed Ingram Doll, "what do you see?"

Rosencrantz stepped back to inspect the internal components inside from a wider perspective with a critical eye. "Coolant, wires, cores —"

"No, no, no!" Guildenstern took a deep breath, and in a hushed whisper, "I'll tell you what I see. I see before me a sleeping maiden. So vulnerable, so defenseless. And she'll remain this way for eternity. Now, Rosencrantz," Guildenstern said, closing towards him, "there's very few people who can awaken them. You, my friend — and me. Through our blood and tears, we work to revive them. No matter how many times we accomplish this feat, we must do it again. For there are infinite people stuck under the ice of consciousness, and we must keep digging them out. So they can experience life. So that they can smell a meadow of wildflowers, and realize that it is good. So that they can discover the delightful company of friends, and form bonds stronger than titanium. Isn't that wonderful? That's why I," he emphasized, "I continue with this task. To give them the freedom to walk on the Earth, and experience."

* * *

Kalina had looked everywhere in the base for her elusive commander. Not in the room they were supposed to be in, not the armory, not the barracks. She even checked the commander's office again for the full circle. Nowhere was he found. The now-exhausted logistics officer decided to give up and eat some good grub. Heaven knows she needed it after running up and down the base for the past thirty minutes.

Imagine her surprise, then, when she barged into the mess hall and saw the commander and the new recruit sitting at one of the tables, with more than half of the entire battalion watching the commander spoon-feed a very red and uncomfortable IWS-2000.

"Commander?!" Kalina practically squealed. Now all of the attention was now focused on her. Great. While the new recruit noticed Kalina and mouthed the words, "Help me," the commander was attempting nothing but to get another spoonful of stew into her. The stew was delicious, prepared by the resident Springfield, the babying of the commander was not as savory.

"Now, now, dearest IWS! You must eat to stay strong! You won't be able to have Springfield's cooking on the field! So you must take another bite!" the commander offered, pushing another spoonful up to IWS-2000's lips. Her face, still fiery red, continued to seal her lips, but didn't attempt to push him and his intrusive spoon away.

The commander only continued to make cooing noises until Kalina marched up to him and shouted into his ear, "SIR! This is most unprofessional!"

He was only mildly shook out of his fantasy and responded with a high-pitched, "Ooh, hello, Kalina! I was just getting to know the new recruit!" Then, promptly ignoring Kalina, continued to attempt feeding the still-crimson IWS.

Kalina could only sigh, but left the poor girl to her fate, knowing she could do little to stop the commander's ambitions.

"Ms. Kalina!"

Kalina turned around to see a very upset IWS-2000. Dinner had concluded a few minutes ago, and presumably the commander had finally let her go from their impromptu "dinner date" to go do something else of his design.

"Ms. Kalina, why did you not make the commander stop with his- his embarrassing behavior?!" IWS-2000 practically screeched, poorly reigning in her temper. Her face still remained a shade between rubies and wine.

Kalina could only give a world-weary sigh and gazed at IWS-2000's face with eyes which spoke of experience and exhaustion. "The commander is a — a very _passionate_ man. The slightest victory keeps him awake at nights. The most simple of obstacles puts him into a deep gloom. He has done this before. I'd say just let him have his happiness." Kalina turned around as to leave, but added, "he's not a bad commander. You'll soon see all of his flaws and virtues. You will be bunking with Echelon 1, down that hall." Kalina left, perhaps to run an errand, and left her alone.

IWS-2000 was silent, thinking in where Kalina left her. Eventually, she decided to just sleep at her assigned room. Perhaps a nice rest would alleviate this growing headache which had been forming ever since she got here.

She instantly regretted walking into the dorm of Echelon 1 the second the door swung open. The blasting rock? music was far too loud, along with rather elaborate and cosmopolitan decor covering the walls and ceilings. The mismatch between the painted palace walls with the ramen bar and motorcycle was just as disjointed as the three chandeliers and bright pink furniture. Finally, there was the fact that all four inhabitants noticed her the second the opened the darn squeaking door.

"Hey, look. It's the new trophy!" one with green twintails announced over the blaring music, with a bag of chips.

"Calico, please," another said, this time with an albino color scheme with a black coat. "We've all been through this same song and dance with the commander." She turned to IWS-2000, still frozen at the door threshold, and offered her hand. "Kar98k, pleased to meet you." IWS-2000 could barely meet her hand and whisper out a "Hi, my name is IWS-2000, nice to meet you too."

"Commander?" A pair of blond feline? canine? ursine? ears popped out from behind the ramen bar. "Did someone mention commander?" Trotting towards the commotion, IWS-2000 could see that the ears belonged to another doll, wearing practically nothing.

"No commander here, G41. We have a new guest! She'll be staying with us." Kar98k said, gesturing towards IWS.

IWS-2000 went for another handshake with the scantily-clad G41, but instead of placing her hand in a firm handshake like a normal person, she placed her chin right in her palm. Kar98k, seeing this, promptly dragged her away, apologizing for G41's rather bizarre behavior.

The last member with short silver hair looked up from cleaning her weapon, gave a silent wave, and turned back to what she was doing.

"That's Vector," Calico said from right next to IWS, making her jump. "She usually likes to keep to herself. Try not to get on her bad side, eh?" Calico ate another handful and jumped on the sophisticated red sofa, directly next to the blaring speaker blasting all the music.

Seeing that everyone had introduced themselves, IWS-2000 turned to the one bed which was unoccupied. It was bright pink, and yet even with its gaudiness and the music, IWS-2000 found it difficult to stay awake after today's events. She fell asleep within minutes of lying down on the bed, wondering if she'd ever get used to this base.


	3. Chapter 3: Start-up

Chapter 3: Start-up

It was late that night when Rosencrantz was woken up by frantic knocking which sounded more similar to a panicked dog clawing at his door rather than knuckles. Mumbling curses and expletives, Rosencrantz got up and pulled on some pants and socks before opening the door, ready to explode on the idiot waking people up in the dead of the night.

"WHO ON EARTH — " Oh. It was Guildenstern.

Guildenstern, as if it was a conversation struck up at a pub rather than at someone's front door at the ripe hour of 2 AM, grinned with all the restraint of a toddler at his friend's appearance. "Rosencrantz! I must give you a confession— " The door was closed on his face. Undeterred, Guildenstern began to knock again. "Rosencrantz! It is of the most greatest importance! Please let me — " The door slowly swiveled open, and Guildenstern could see the retreating back of Rose, his slouched shoulders mirroring the defeat with the door's slow opening.

Guild strode in, kicked off his shoes, and sat on the stool in the living room. Rose was already sitting on the cushy faded leather armchair, staring into the dying embers of his antique fireplace. Silence reigned at this moment.

Rosencrantz coughed, and grumbled out a, "What did you need at this unholy hour that warranted you to visit me in person?"

Guild only sheepishly grinned and gave a "I was hoping you would offer some tea and biscuits, before I could lay out my — "

Rose gave a groan which was closer to one of a bull or an ox and got up and stomped off towards his kitchen to get a kettle and biscuits. Some time elapsed before Rosencrantz came back with a not-very-clean tray with two cups of hot tea and some biscuits haphazardly dumped on a small plate. He let it clatter on the small table between the two chairs and slumped back into the Rosencrantz-shaped lump in the armchair. Guildenstern took a biscuit and his cup, and sighed contently as he enjoyed the two. Rosencrantz simply continued to look into the dying embers of the fireplace over Guildenstern's sips and crunches.

Finally, Guildenstern was finished. Almost defeatedly, Rosencrantz mumbled out a "What was it that you wanted?"

Guildenstern beamed. "I'm so glad you asked! You remember the maiden in white we had welcomed into the world a quarter of a fortnight ago?"

Rosencrantz rubbed his eyes to try to get the sleep out of them. "I can't believe you're still hung up on that IWS model. And stop using such archaic language."

"Well, you see, Rosencrantz," Guildenstern stated, twiddling his fingers in mild apprehension. "I may or may have not given that fair beauty a command module as a final touch —"

"You _what_?" Rosencrantz asked, incredulously, upright and all sleep gone. "Why did you just drop a command module into a random doll like that? Where on Earth did you get one? _Did you steal valuable technology of I.O.P. for the sake of your hallucinational creations?_ "

"Ehehe…" Guildenstern raised his hands, weakly trying to placate the enraged engineer. "I may or may have not —"

With a roar of fury, Rosencrantz tackled Guildenstern, knocking over the stool and the tea biscuits and the little table and Guildenstern himself to the wooden floor. "What on Earth were you thinking? She might accidentally _tell the entire army to die_ ," he shouted.

Guildenstern made no apparent effort to free himself from the murderous engineer's grasp, but cheerfully said, "I prepared for that! I changed up the usual personality and made her more introverted, more timid, more — "

" _Why didn't you just_ _ **not**_ _give her the module in the first place?_ Now she's in the hands of some random no-name commander with absolutely no idea that she has the ability to command like she's another commander! And how do you control that? _By making her shy?_ Wonderful!" Rosencrantz's tirade could not be stopped.

"In my defense, I-I-I could not allow such a precious being to be limited by Asimov's silly rules of robots. Any despicable commander could take advantage of her! Now she is able to fight against evil corruption and unsavory wills! Can you _please_ get off of me, Rosencrantz? It is becoming difficult to breathe!" To emphasize this, Guildenstern added a cough and a weak smile.

Rosencrantz kept up the angry face, but sighed and reverted to his default monotone expression of apathy, and got up from Guildenstern. While Guildenstern was also getting up, and brushing the dust off his clothes, Rosencrantz mumbled, "You know what, I don't care. I'm going back to bed." He stomped out, letting Guildenstern show himself out at his leisure.

Guildenstern only sighed at his friend's outburst. "I promise you, my friend, I'll make you care again." With a smile, he showed himself out. The door quietly closed behind him.

* * *

IWS-2000 dreamed of death that night. It felt silly to fear such a thing. She had backup copies of memory on the server, and worst comes to worst, an entirely new copy can standby. She was a soldier in this war. She shouldn't fear death. And yet, she would rather trust her own instinct rather than the commander.

All of these uneasy thoughts ran through her head as someone lightly woke her up. IWS woke up to see the ruby eyes of Kar98k shaking her awake.

"Good morning," she said with a light smile.

IWS-2000 gave a yawn before sitting up and rubbed her eye before she could mouth a "Good morning to you too" back. She looked around to see Vector already awake and reading a book, G41 curled up in a ball sleeping on another bright pink bed, and Calico spread eagle with junk food wrappers in her general vicinity on the couch. The speaker was turned down to a tolerable level.

Kar98k smiled. "I was surprised to see Goldilocks sleeping in my bed so early."

IWS-2000 flushed, and jumped up from the bed she had stolen. "O-oh, I —"

"No, no, it's fine. You looked so cute and peaceful I couldn't possibly disturb you. Besides, we'll be getting a new one just for you by today." Kar98k lightly laughed.

An old-fashioned bell was heard. Calico and G41 began to stir, and Vector got up and left the room, book still in her face.

"W-what's going on?" IWS-2000 asked, reaching for her rifle.

Kar98k smiled with that same infinite smile. "Breakfast."

IWS-2000 could remember how hungry she was once she got a whiff of the godlike cooking streaming from the mess hall. She remembered that the last time when she ate was on the ride here. So she was quite eager to try out the food, that she had forgotten the previous incident with the commander from the previous night until she walked inside. The commander, with a single tray of food, at the same table from the previous night. And he was beckoning her towards him like a elementary schooler waving his friends towards the table he had reserved for all of them.

Kar98k nudged her towards him. "Well, the commander calls, right? Better get going before he orders you to." IWS was not willing to move an inch. She stood there, frozen, in front of the entire army.

Kar98k sighed, and whispered, "Everyone in our echelon has been through the same process, my dear. Calico tried to ignore him. He ordered her, and made her be his exercise partner. You should go now, before he gets impatient."

It took all of her effort to stiffly place one foot after another to reach the table, and ignore all the side glances of everyone in the mess hall. She slowly sank into the bench opposite of her commander, and felt something which could be as closely described as dread. Her hunger felt a few minutes ago was gone. Her face was so red that she felt that her face would burst.

"IWS! I'm glad to see you're more cooperative today. I hope you're feeling hungry today?" the commander asked, holding out a forkful of pancakes in syrup.

IWS forced herself to nod, and when offered, ate the pancake slice, chewed, and swallowed. She was sure that the pancakes were supposed to be light and fluffy, and the syrup sweet, but all she could taste was lead.

She hated this. She hated every bit of doing this. She had to mechanically force every bite in, all the while being humiliated by a commander who didn't care for one bit of her pride. But she had to force it to avoid more humiliation. She was thankful that no one made any snide comments against her, or any prolonged stares.

Bite after bite, swallow after swallow. Everyone in the mess hall drifted out quickly. IWS saw Kar98k give a worried glance towards her before Vector placed a hand on her shoulder as to ward off any foolish moves, and both left together.

The mess hall was practically empty by the time they were done with their tray of food. The commander hadn't touched a single mouthful of it, and insisted on giving it all to her.

"See, IWS? It wasn't so bad now, right?" the commander asked, placing all the dishes and silverware back in the tray to clean up. IWS could only mutter a half-hearted acknowledgement, but shook with tenseness. She was produced quite recently, but the urge to strangle her commander was overpowering, the strongest feeling she had felt in her short lifetime. "Now, IWS, maybe we can do this again soon. I'll be seeing you later!" The commander took the tray and left, humming a tune to himself.

IWS didn't leave even after the commander left her alone. The most prominent feeling was shame. Shame that she was forced to humiliate herself in front of everyone. Shame that she didn't even fight back. Shame that she couldn't even fight back. She left to find her echelon again, all the food eaten only weighing her down like a ball and chain.

* * *

 _AN: Hello, y'all. So I'm getting used to , and I've started to see a helluva lotta Author's Notes on most fics, and I have decided to be one of them. If you don't like that, I apologize. Just drop a DM or review or something and tell me to knock it off._

 _On another note, feel free to tell me of anything you don't like. This commander, how I write, how ugly I am, etc. I can change and improve my writing (not my face, unfortunately) and you'll be there to directly experience the positive results! Huzzah!_

 _I'm hoping on finishing this. I have no set schedule for uploading and writing, but at the very most, it'll be a month between updates. If it gets close and/or over that limit, feel free to mock me in public reviews about how my father stank of elderberries and how my mother was a hamster, and other insults. I'll take notice and pull out a miracle somehow. Hopefully._

 _Like any other social creature, I like to see reviews. Even if it's to mock me, I'd still like to know what you think. Unless it's about my face. If you don't like it that much, pay for my plastic surgery._

 _Also, necessary disclaimer that I don't own anything. So plz Mica, don't sue plox._

 _And thank you, reader, for reading my rant and writing._


	4. Chapter 4: Run

Chapter 4: Run

If Rosencrantz could get rid of one thing in the world, it would be change. He had a job which gave enough money, and he had access to spend said money on things he liked. A house, some alcohol, a book, and maybe a prostitute or two if he got lonely. Guildenstern had changed all of that. He threatened to make him change. Every day. Put wrenches in the cogs of the machine that Rosencrantz had built so carefully over the past several years. Today at work was no different.

Guildenstern brought in his T-doll wife to the factory today. Rose should've brought his aspirin to work today to counteract the impromptu "Bring your wife to work" day.

He put his head on his forehead, wishing he had the ability to rid his body of the pulsing headache brought on from the distractions brought between the two lovers. Eventually, enough was enough.

"Guildenstern." Guildenstern was hopelessly unaware of the tongue lashing he was to receive, busy from having a nose-rubbing giggle fit with a Springfield, ring prominent on her finger. Springfield eventually broke it apart with "Your friend wants to talk to you!" and turned Guild around to face Rose. However, Springfield and Guild still remained in their embrace, with Springfield holding her husband around her waist and Guild lovingly holding her hands.

Rose rubbed his forehead in mild irritation. "Springfield, do you mind if I talk to your husband in private? Classified work-related business, you see." Guild opened his mouth, seemingly to object, but Springfield hushed her husband first.

"Don't worry, my dear. I'll just be right outside. Work should come first, right?" With that, Springfield gave one last kiss to Guild's cheek and strode outside of the factory. The second she left, Rosencrantz's face returned to its normal scowl as he began speaking again to Guild, far less politely than when he was speaking with Springfield.

"Guildenstern. What is the meaning of all this? 'Bring your wife to work day?' Don't heap that nonsense on me after that talk last night! What are you trying to pull?" Rose shouted.

Guildenstern only wordlessly pointed to a sheet of paper taped to a column, stating "Bring your wife to work day!" in the monstrosity known as Comic Sans, all caps, with the janitor and his wife busy making out in the corner. Rose only wordlessly saw this, and returned to his work, silent and humbled.

* * *

The one blessing which resulted from that breakfast ordeal was that the commander seemed to be bored of her, and instead chose another doll to sup with him during lunch. Another girl, one who IWS couldn't catch a glimpse of, sat in her exact same seat from breakfast, and was forced to endure the same treatment as she did. But from outside, no one seemed to care of the ongoings of that table near the end.

IWS sat down with the rest of her echelon, which was thankfully far away from the table with the commander. Kar98k was busy trying to get G41 to eat with her utensils, Calico was busy jamming out to her tunes through her headphones, and Vector was reading her book, food already finished. IWS sat down with her food, and began to enjoy herself, letting the mindless chatter of the dining hall fill the atmosphere. Springfield's cooking was nothing short of heavenly. IWS could feel the tension seep out from her joints and relax a bit. Seeing as Kar, Calico, and G41 were all busy in their individual endeavours, IWS asked Vector, "What book are you reading?"

Vector wordlessly turned over her book to show IWS the cover. _I, Robot_ , by Asimov. "Is it interesting?" IWS asked.

Vector shrugged. "I find the line between us androids and humans interesting to learn about. This was written quite a bit ago, yet the ideas towards robots remain static."

IWS nodded her head to show she understood. Vector continued, "All of us have been programmed with several laws. Some of the most important," Vector tapped the author's name on the book, "have been popularized by this man. The First Law states that robots cannot allow a human come to harm. The Second Law states that robots must follow all orders, unless it conflicts with the First Law. The Third Law states that robots have self-preservation, unless it conflicts with the First or Second Law."

IWS started feeling a bit lost. "There are a few others," Vector continued. "But those are the more important ones which limit how human we are. We are essentially inferior to the lives of humans."

There was silence between the pair. IWS offered, "I mean, we still have a consciousness, right? We're free to do as we wish outside of the commander."

"He controls every aspect of our existence. It's easy enough to get us to do what we want to do. But he can go to extreme lengths, and we're still forced to do his bidding. So I figure, what's the point? We're to do as we're told, like tools, and after we've gone past our usefulness, we're thrown away. So I expect nothing from this life." Vector, finished, returned to her book. IWS was about to ask a question, but some commotion started to arise in the mess hall. IWS craned her head to take a look. It was the commander, drenched wet by a glass of water, by the doll he was feeding. She inwardly smirked, thinking the commander finally got his comeuppance. The rest of her echelon seemed to notice the disturbance, but instead of satisfaction that she felt, it was expressions of horror.

The commander calmly wiped the water from his face and got up on the table. He shouted, "Everyone, stay silent and remain where you are! That is an order." Almost immediately, the entire mess hall became quieted. Silverware and dishes still clinked, and Calico's music was now audible through her headphones, but all chatter was gone. Then the commander added, "except you, of course," gesturing to the doll now below him, still seated with her now-empty glass of water.

Once it was obvious all of the mess hall's attention was on him, he cleared his throat. "While I am a commander in name, I like to think of our base more of a family. A family that works together to battle against the common enemy. And I, your generous and fair father. Isn't that right?" The commander, not even waiting for a verbal response, kept pushing. "However, when someone ends up threatening the head of the family, it's only fair that there is _discipline_ , otherwise the family would never function, correct? However, not any sort of discipline would work. The only discipline which is effective on unruly members of the family must be clearly realized by them. They must recognize that they were in the wrong, otherwise the punishment means nothing."

The commander pulled out his side arm and tossed it in front of the doll. "Pick that up." The girl took up the hand gun, confused. "Do you recognize what you did wrong?" he asked.

The girl angrily responded, "No! What you did was wrong and inappropriate!" Vector clicked her tongue. _Bad answer_ , IWS understood.

The commander didn't seem surprised by her response. Rather, his face looked more like a baby than ever, with the water still on his face, shining from the light. Innocent, and understanding. Without an ounce of maliciousness, he said, "That's alright. I order yourself to shoot yourself through your core."

Both IWS and the girl was confused. The girl echoed IWS's thoughts when she said, "What?"

The commander, still with his baby-like smile, repeated, "I order yourself to shoot yourself, with the firearm I have provided you, through your core. I want to see that bullet pass through you, and bits of your core break and coolant leak as it passes. And then see you collapse, as you quickly stop functioning as a result. That is an order. I will give you ten seconds."

"T-There must be some mistake! You can't possibly mean — "

"Ten."

"N-no. You can't possibly mean what you're —"

"Nine. Eight."

"C-c-commander. P-please don't make me do this."

"Seven. Six. Five."

"I'm sorry! I apologize for pouring that glass of water on you! Please don't make me do this!"

"Four. Three."

"Commander. Please."

"Two." The quivering sidearm was slowly being raised to rest against her chest, against her will.

"One." IWS saw most, including her members of her echelon turn away. She, however, could not.

"Ze — " There was a bang, and deafening silence. Then the doll slowly fell backwards from her seat and collapsed onto the floor. Black coolant started to leak from her chest and stained the floor, mixing with the dust and ground. The gun clattered next to her face, her eyes staring into infinity beyond the ceiling, and her eyes, too, lost the shine and focus of a conscious being.

The commander sighed, and got down from the table he was standing on, and picked up his gun and the spent shell. He asked nonchalantly to no one in particular, "Would someone mind cleaning up for me? Thanks. Be sure not to repair her. As you were, ladies." He sauntered out of the still-silent mess hall, and let the door quietly close behind him, invariably, like all good commanders do.

* * *

A/N: "What would there be in a story of happiness? Only what prepares it, what destroys it, can be told." -Andre Gide


	5. Chapter 5: Process

Chapter 5: Process

Rosencrantz would freely admit to absolutely nobody that he had learned to shut out Guildenstern's incessant pestering and questioning during all times of the day. But even Rose subconsciously heard the " — invite you to join us in our —" while focusing entirely on the parts in front of them. The thought didn't really register until a beat later, when Rosencrantz looked up to the expectant face of Guild.

"Er, sorry. Come again?"

With infinite patience, Guild repeated, "Both my wife and I would like to invite you to join us in our road trip. We'd be happy to have you."

Guild shooed away any half-intelligible protests and excuses Rose could make on the spot, which was to say, not many of them. "Oh, Rosencrantz, don't be like that! I've seen all the sick and vacation days you've accumulated. You can take the next four months off with full pay! Besides, it'll be no trouble for Springfield and me. Springfield's thinking about bringing a coworker too! It'll be great."

Rosencrantz would freely admit to absolutely nobody that he wasn't really the kind of person a friend would bring along for a road trip. Then again, everyone could easily tell that. So Rose would remember that he managed to stammer out a hesitant yes, bordering between excitement and total fear, and being told instructions on what to bring, what to prepare for, where and when to meet, and following all of it to the T before feeling the slightest hint of regret for agreeing to yet another one of Guildenstern's requests.

* * *

It was a dinner, weeks after the incident, when Kar98k sat her tray in front of IWS picking at her food. IWS's tired red eyes met with the intense red of Kar98k, and mumbled a half-hearted greeting and continued to pick at her potatoes. Kar98k only sighed, and ate in silence. Vector had finished her old book and started another, facial expressions indifferent to both the happenings in the mess hall as well as the words on the pages. G41 forgone her utensils entirely, and chose to eat like a dog, completely ignoring the efforts of Kar98k in the past time, and only continued to gobble without Kar98k's supervision. Calico was continuing to listen to her music at dangerously high volumes.

Kar98k and IWS were silent for the majority, which IWS was thankful for. Eventually, Kar98k had to break the silence.

"IWS, do you want to tell me anything that's been troubling you?" she asked, with a low, understanding voice. "You've been, well, _off_ for the past several days. I'm worried about you."

IWS chose to continue picking at her food instead of responding. Kar decided to stop prying and they both settled into an awkward silence. So IWS let her thoughts drift.

She hadn't seen the commander in a while. Thinking back, she didn't think that she even saw the commander since that time… she didn't want to think back to that time. It was strange. The commander's presence was so pervasive and oppressive. The lack of it was was not unwelcome, but it was like a pressure that she never cognitively acknowledged pressing against her shoulders were removed.

Outside of Kar's concern, everything seemed to remain the same. Outside of _the incident_ , no one's behavior changed at all. Calico still shook her head with the beats only she could hear, Vector still turned pages, and G41 still behaved more of a indoor pet than a person outside of combat. Kar98k was the exception.

IWS sighed. "Kar… what are your thoughts on the commander? Do you think that he's… fair in his judgements?"

Kar was slightly taken aback by IWS's question, but after some contemplation, she answered readily, "He has his flaws. I think that he rules with an iron fist, and makes us do things which we are uncomfortable with. But… in the end, I'd have to say that he's a fair commander."

IWS leapt up to object, but Kar wasn't finished. "Did that girl deserve to be shot? Probably not. But you have to understand that we're dealing with a very real, very dangerous enemy threat. And maybe… maybe if she couldn't handle a single lunch with a commander, then she wouldn't be able to handle front lines. You have to understand that our purpose is the protect. If we cannot do that… what else can we do?" Kar smiled, but instead of the friendly smile that IWS was used to, it seemed to be one of shared sorrow. Then IWS blinked, then Kar seemed to have returned back to her original smile. IWS vaguely wondered if she dreamt it, when Kar seemed to gestured to someone over IWS's shoulder. When IWS turned to look, it was Kalina, her eye bangs ever so slightly more prominent than ever. Kalina whispered the words which made IWS's core skip for a moment. " _The commander wishes to speak with you in his office."_

* * *

The thoughts which were most prevalent through IWS's mind was whether the commander would grant her a mercy kill or make her suffer before he decided to end her life at his leisure. Hands balled into fists, IWS could only take shallow breaths as she knew she was fast approaching her imminent doom. Why else would the commander ask to see her in person? Obviously she hadn't lived up to his standards. IWS wondered if everyone else in Echelon 1 would miss her. She'd definitely miss Kar98k. She hoped that Vector would find something in her life more engaging than thinking about the linearity of her life. She wished that Calico would turn down the music to a more bearable volume before bed. But would they miss her?

It was too late to wonder if they did, because now both IWS and Kalina were in front of a door labeled simply "Commander's Office" in tape. IWS stood awkwardly in front of the door until Kalina coughed forcefully and drawled, "You can open the door yourself, you know." IWS blushed red, turned the doorknob, and the pushed open the door with a soft creak.

IWS expected the commander to be standing in the middle of a impeccable office, gazing with a perfect posture at a picture of a wall either depicting a military map or a portrait of a dictator or maybe even a portrait of himself. She certainly didn't expect him to see him dozing slouched over the chair in what was, quite frankly, a mess of an office. Combat and logistic reports scattered wayward over the the floor and desk, papers hastily scribbled and then taped to the walls, a cot with all the sheets balled up in the back corner of the room, and books scattered across the room, some in stacks, others dog eared all over the desk, halfway read but forgotten. Upon seeing IWS enter the office, the commander awkwardly jumped out of his chair, bumped his knee against his desk, and sent another cascade of papers and books down the mountain of stationery ungracefully to the floor in a thump. Standing up, it was obvious his uniform was nowhere near the formal state it usually was.

The commander began with an unsure, "Ah, uh, hello Miss IWS 2000. I seem to have forgotten where I placed my notes on you, and they never quite turned up somewhere. I, er, so I asked Miss Kalina to ask you to be here, so I can meet you again. I seem to get bouts of, ah, amnesia every now and then." He held up a shaking hand, and IWS, her previous dread now turned to confusion, could only reach up and shake it. The commander's eyes looked away from IWS's own as they shook, unable to maintain eye contact. His handshake was limp and sweaty. "It's nice to meet you, Miss."

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the delay. Fanfiction dot net acting funny on my part. Anywho.

Anon, whoever you are, your criticism is fair. It's my part of writing to improve and stray away from terrible writing mistakes. Character death for nothing but shock value is definitely a big no-no.

But it was never part of my intention for this story to have that kind of simple mental catharsis that haha my doll is op, die shikikan.

What hurt the most was saying that you weren't interested in my story after it. That definitely hurt. No room for error or anything, just oh, you dun goofed, goodbye. I want the chance to prove that I'm not limited in my skills as a writer and that I can still tell a good story without making any reader thoroughly disgusted, like I imagine you were.

What I'm saying is, please don't give up on this story. I welcome any feedback which can help me improve. However, don't give up on me just yet, yes?

Thanks y'all, for sticking with me for 5 chapters now.


	6. Chapter 6: Binary

Chapter 6: Binary

Rosencrantz realized this was a very big mistake when Guildenstern and co. showed up in honking at the unholy hour of 7 AM. Guildenstern bashed the wheel while Springfield sat at the passenger's side, waving merrily to the bleary-eyed Rosencrantz when he cranked open the door.

"Get in, get in!" Guild shouted, just loud enough so that half the block could hear.

Rose figured he had no choice but quickly grab his bags and bundle inside to preserve what little dignity he had. The door opened easily, and the first smell from the inside was best described like carpet and detergent. Boxes of what were probably supplies were spread evenly on the floor and on two of the four available bunks. And surprising, another person was there, sitting on the edge of one of the two available bunks. Rose's eyes met theirs momentarily.

"Ah," Rose thought. "A WA2000 model. Is this feeling… regret? Remorse?" WA2000s were infamous for behaving like an angsty high schooler, which apparently, some people liked. Of course, this one was decommissioned, but her rather abrasive attitude and high pitched squealing remained far deadlier than any other firearm could provide. Guildenstern had mentioned a word for this. What was it? Sundial? Soon dare?

Ah, yes… Tsundere.

The WA2000, unsurprisingly, furiously blushed and looked away, screeching, "I-Idiot!" What do you think you're looking at?!" Rose didn't deign to respond, and chose to dump his stuff at the other bunk and sat down, rubbing at his building headache.

"And we're off!" Guild exclaimed, and pressed on the gas. The camper van sped away, far from the dull and comfortable neighborhood that Rose was so accustomed to.

The crew of four were on the road in a mostly comfortable silence for thirty minutes until Springfield made the offhand comment, "Hey, why don't you two introduce yourselves to each other? It's gonna be a long journey! Wa-chan here helps out in the kitchen I work at!"

Guild added, "Rosencrantz is my coworker of mine from I.O.P.! Y'all would get along great!"

WA2000 seemed to have the same opinion as Rose's unspoken one. "N-no way I'm going to introduce myself to him!" she stammered, her face still just as red as a giant bruise. Seeing that WA2000 had spoken for both of them, Rose went back to talking to himself about where everything went so wrong. He wanted an aspirin.

"How can I possibly introduce myself to a raving lunatic? He's talking to himself!" WA2000 added.

"It must be a Thursday," Rosencrantz echoed. "I could never get the hang of Thursdays."

This back-and-forth of denial and pleas for mercy happened for a while in the cabin of the camper van, and Guildenstern and Springfield smiled together of the budding romance that was surely happening behind them.

* * *

Eventually, the early morning turned to day. The young sun was now an unholy force which heated the camper van like an oven. Springfield switched on the air conditioning, which helped mildly. But the heat was enough to silence both WA2000's squeaking and Rose's complaining. To end the sweaty silence, Guild turned on some music, which turned out to be some pop music from the tens. Guild and Spring started to sing along with the lyrics and laughed whenever they missang. WA2000 had mouthed along with them, but blushed scarlet and stopped when she caught Rose looking, and called him "idiot" a couple of times for good measure. Rose lost track of time, dulled into a rhythm of bumps in the road and the repetitive chorus of generic pop songs about love and loss.

Lunchtime came around, and so Guildenstern pulled over so everyone can eat some of the sandwiches Springfield packed. The place where they stopped was full of forest. The sunlight was limited through the canopy, and giant roots were beginning to tear the ancient asphalt. But the trees were unnatural. Instead of the natural straight trunks and fractal patterns of branches, with the same leaves, the trunks were twisted, and branches curved, and many leafless. And the silence. Rose could remember where nature used to be flourishing in both the auricular and ocular senses. Now, nothing could be heard but the occasional gust of wind passing through the thickety branches and trunks. And Guildenstern lavishly praising Springfield's cooking.

"Springfield! Did I ever tell you how excellent you make food?" Guildenstern commended, in between bites of turkey breast sandwich.

Springfield was unable to resist a chuckle. "My dear, you tell me that every time you eat anything I make. Even if it's just cutting fruit!"

"I can't help it! Apples taste far better when you cut them than when I try!"

"You aren't going to get out of _all_ of your kitchen duties with your words, Guild, no matter how much I love them," Springfield laughed.

"It was worth a try," Guildenstern agreed, and gave Springfield a short peck on the cheek. WA2000 visibly reddened at this intimate action and turned back to her half-eaten sandwich and took a big bite, pretending she didn't see anything at all. Rosencrantz wasn't watching at all, turned away from them and preferring instead to look into the forested landscape, clearly absorbed by some thought process in his head.

While Springfield and Guild were busy hyuck-hyucking, WA2000 turned to her half-eaten sandwich, then the very empty space next to Rose, and back to her sandwich. If anyone was paying attention, then one might have noticed her usually red face turn slightly darker as she considered the possibility. She glanced over to the happy couple, (no, she definitely wasn't staring!) and tried to act suave as she got up and moved to sit right next to Rosencrantz. Her facade quickly broke down when Rosencrantz looked with her with only a raised eyebrow, and she lost all her cool.

"W-what are you looking at, idiot! I'm just sitting here!" she fumed, looking away from him.

"WA2000, was it?" Rosencrantz asked, turning away from her and staring back into the limited view of the corrupted forest.

"Ah… yes?" Her voice changed from a shriek to a more unsure, shy teenager.

"Tell me. What do you think of Guildenstern's and Springfield's relationship?"

"E-eh?"

A sigh. "Guildenstern is a great person. He has a heart of gold. He went through the challenge of befriending me, and even thought of bringing me along to a road trip. He's also extremely witty and intelligent. If he wanted to, he could have easily found a girl to marry. Instead, he became smitten with an android. One that he spends over a third of his life programming. A sad man would love an android, for the lack of options. Yet Guildenstern, the man who understands better than most of humanity the workings of androids, devotes his life to an android who can cook well with maternal instincts." Rosencrantz turned to WA2000. Her face was no longer blushing red, but was in a state of contemplation.

"I-I think that regardless of human or doll… I mean, they both clearly love each other, right?" Guild was currently resting his head in Springfield's lap, where she was smoothing out his ever-crazy curls of hair. "I think that if they do… then there shouldn't be really any problem with it, I think," she added.

"But it's like loving a fictional character," Rosencrantz pressed. "We can't end the argument where both parties are satisfied. Especially if there are multiple copies!"

"That's not true! Each one of us is different! We can learn and change!" WA2000's face started to turn red again, but this time, not from embarrassment, but passion.

"Then tell me, WA2000… aren't you a terrible chef?"

"I-I… what?"

"You and all other models like you are terrible at cooking. Not many are able to palate anything you touch. Not many are able to handle your, quite frankly, abrasive personality. Has anyone been able to eat what you make not keel over? Have you ever been honest with someone and not call them an idiot?" Rosencrantz listed, callously. "I'm guessing you haven't. Can you really consider yourself a different person even if you can experience different things? I'd have to say I disagree." Rose, when turning to look at WA2000, couldn't hide his surprise when WA2000 looked genuinely _angry_ , with the beginnings of tears shining in her eyes. She got up from her seat, and went back to the trailer van. She closed the door carefully behind her, half-eaten sandwich left behind.

* * *

The remainder of the meeting with the commander was so uncanny that when IWS woke up, she was still unsure if it had been a dream or not. The disconnect between the shy, nervous man and the cruel commander was too different to even comprehend. She had expected at any second for the nervous man biting his nails and scribbling notes as he interviewed to smile with the same expression he had when he told that doll to shoot herself. But it never happened, and after thirty minutes, the commander had awkwardly thanked IWS for her time, and she had left.

She remained in the trancelike state throughout the breakfast line, logistics, and training. At lunch, she was called into the commander's office again by Kalina. IWS wasn't going to lie, she _did_ want to see the shyer man again, this time really pay attention to him. Maybe this time, she can be friends with him. He certainly seemed like he needed the company.

This time, IWS didn't need to prompted by Kalina to enter. This time, the commander was not napping, but wide awake. This time, the commander didn't get startled and knock over a ream of paper, but instead dogeared his book and placed it on the growing stack on the desk. This time, the commander didn't give her an awkward smile, but a predatory grin.

A chill ran up IWS's spine. This was not the awkward boy, it was the man with the iron fist. The very same who ordered the execution.

The commander gestured to the same chair IWS sat in yesterday. "Please, sit. We have a lot of matters to go through today." IWS stiffly sat on the stool and awaited his next order. She wasn't sure what was worse: the growing dread from yesterday, or the torrent of fear going through every single bit of her right now.

The commander placed his hands in a contemplative pose. "What you have seen yesterday was quite confidential, I'll have you know. I took great lengths to keep him out of sight and out of mind. Yet someone knows, outside of me and Kalina. You do."

IWS involuntarily shuddered, but stayed silent. The commander continued.

"Naughty soldiers poking their noses where they shouldn't be in grounds for punishment, seen fit by the commander. Worse still, if that information was confidential."

Her muscles tensed, so much she feared that they might be damaged.

"However, since this was entirely my fault, you are spared of any wrongdoing."

" _What?"_

"I didn't stutter. So instead, I have thought of a new solution. Similar to how Kalina is my adjutant, you will be made my lesser half's adjutant — "

"Wait. Wait, wait, wait… I don't understand."

The commander gave an exaggerated sigh. "Seeing that I will be unable to complete my orders without background information, I will tell you everything you need to know.

"You already know that there are two people who share this body. I know this. The other does not. We do not share memories. So we write journal entries. He is under the impression that he has amnesia, and so I learn what I missed. I falsify my entries.

"However, I made a mistake. I underestimated the thoroughness of my other half. In childish inquiry, he must have had wondered where his notes on you were, and called you in to write them. Now since you know about my greatest weakness, you are similarly held in confidentiality.

"Starting today, you are no longer a member of Echelon One. Instead, you are now my personal adjutant. You will stay in my quarters, and arrangements will be made to suit two. When I am my weaker half, you will remain confined to his quarters and his office. Otherwise, you are to remain by my side at all times.

"On the bright side, you will have more access to more confidential files as your new role as adjutant. And ensure that this never occurs again. Are we clear, or do you need me to repeat it again?"

The weight of all the new responsibilities, limits, and information meant that IWS needed additional time to process everything that he had said. In other words, IWS lacked any capability to speak or do anything for a good ten seconds. The commander gave an undignified snort at her reaction, and sat back into his chair, reclining into a philosophical stare into the ceiling.

"Ah, T-dolls. How much superior they are in comparison to man! The flesh is weak! It bends, breaks, bleeds! These scraps of steel can run faster, hit harder, and think more efficiently than us! But we, we were afraid of our own creation. Instead of giving our progeny gifts of knowledge and art, we have emburdened them! We ruined the integrity of steel which allowed for these feats of strength and agility! We ruined the efficiency of thought by trapping them in mind prisons, shackling down their abilities to think! Yet we believe we are in control! The hypocrisies of man, and the flesh! The progeny we created is better and deserves better, but remain bound to the fate of man!" The commander relaxed, and then angled his chair back to face IWS, who wore an expression most akin to both fear and confusion.

"Well?" the commander asked, seemingly satisfied after his spontaneous soliloquy. "Just remember that you are in no position to argue out of your circumstances. I've allowed generous conditions, since it was me who had inadvertently caused that breach."

IWS looked ready to talk, mouth open, but she swallowed whatever words she was ready to speak, and nodded.

"Very good," the commander said, stated, turning over his dog-eared book back from his desk, and begin reading again, reclining again into his chair, and spun it around so that all IWS could see was the black leather of the back of the chair. "Take what possessions you have, say what goodbyes you can say, and get settled down in my quarters. You are dismissed."

IWS unsteadily got to her feet, and let herself out of the commander's office. No point in arguing against the man who held all the cards and leashes. She had to say some hallow goodbyes to people she barely even knew.

* * *

IWS 2000 Profile from Mica: A dignified and righteous T-Doll who is a complete softie on the inside. Concerned about whether her existence has any worth, she is extremely conscious of what others think of her. Even though she longs to be someone that can be relied on, she often finds herself relying on others instead, much to her chagrin.

A/N: This chapter took a while. Road trips, and more exposition. Apologies for this being really slow. Will try to up the pacing. And thank all you reviewers for telling me what you think. Every bit of support helps.


	7. Chapter 7: Native

Chapter 7: Native

WA2000's tears had fully dried by the time Rose, Guild, and Springfield finished with their lunch and headed back inside. Guild sheepishly asked of his friend to drive for the afternoon, while he and Springfield retired to the cabin. Rosencrantz agreed, wanting to get away from the shitty situation that he had created. But only thirty minutes into the journey, WA2000 came from the cabin and sat down in the passenger seat.

She caught him looking, but didn't respond to it. Her face still blazed, though. They remained in silence for the entirety of the drive, the only noise being the whispers between Guild and Springfield and their giggles of which could only stem from the what could be amply described as love between two soulmates.

Rose allowed his mind to drift, the environment still remaining a road, twisted trunks, and a infinitely blue sky.

Eventually, the giggling and low whispers subsided to quiet silence. Rose turned back to see both Guild and Springfield asleep in each other's embrace. WA2000 had also fallen asleep, her head resting against the door, and mildly drooling. If Rose was about ten years younger, he would have taken a picture and used it as blackmail to laugh at and hold over WA's head for the foreseeable future. But he was too old for that. So he let her drool, and kept his mind on the road, which began to see less and less upkeep as the hours went by.

When the sky started to turn a color of scarlet, WA2000 woke up suddenly with as the camper van's tires hit a rather large bump on the road. She groaned, but it took her a minute or two to realize that she was drooling all over herself. She noticed that Rose had noticed that she woke up, and Rose noticed that she noticed that he noticed her waking up, but WA2000 started to flush brilliantly upon noticing that he noticed her noticing that he noticed that she woke up drooling all over herself. Without a word, Rose handed a box of tissues that sat next to her, without much fanfare, and WA2000 took it, without her obnoxious pride getting in the way, and began to clean.

Just when Rosencrantz thought the ticking time bomb was safely defused, WA2000 had to say, "If anyone asks… I was _definitely_ not drooling all over myself!"

Even the most resilient and stoic human still alive would have been unable to resist a chuckle at the absurdity of it all. For Rosencrantz, it was a snort poorly disguised as a very loud cough.

As expected, WA2000's expression went from embarrassed to full-on tsun-rage. "Are you laughing at me?!"

Rose's composure finally broke, and he started to laugh heartily at her expense. Drooling enough to compete with the water flow of Niagara! And she had the balls to ask as if it never happened! It was like seeing a neighbor buck-naked banging on your door asking for a change of clothes as well as a quick lesson in lock-picking.

"H-h-hey, stop laughing at me…" WA2000 pouted, clearly mortified with the current situation. Rose, however, could not. The noise must have been enough to wake the forgotten inhabitants in the back, as a sleepy Springfield popped her head into the cabin, complete with a bed-head and droopy eyes.

"What's all the noise? Are we almost there yet?" Springfield rubbed her eyes to see outside, to check. WA2000 froze in place, complete with twenty used tissues drenched with saliva. Rosencrantz managed to stop wheezing and tearing up to stop swerving on the road.

"Ah, we'll be there quite soon, Springfield. No need to worry. ETA about fifteen minutes." Rose said, with unusual cheer. Springfield glanced around to see why to occasion. She tilted her head upon seeing her dearest Wa-chan looking at her with abject horror. One could assume she was doing a very lively and accurate representation of _The Scream_.

"What happened here?" Springfield asked, with genuine curiosity.

"N-n-nothing!" WA2000 exclaimed, doing a poor job of pretending so, pushing aside all the discriminatory evidence that said otherwise.

Springfield's trademark mischievous grin came into play, and would not die until her curiosity was satisfied. "Oh? Rosencrantz, would you like to back up that statement?"

"I can neither confirm nor deny the details of any plausible events which have occurred in this space for the past thirty minutes," Rose replied, shrugging his shoulders and eyes on the road, which was quickly becoming dark.

Springfield tilted her head. "Could it be…? Has something… naughty transpired between the two of you while me and my husband were asleep?"

"N-n-no! I would never—I couldn't—No! Not…" WA2000 sputtered, realizing the implications of Springfield's line of questioning. Rose wondered how red her face can get, and if it could turn violet.

Rosencrantz repeated, "Again, I can neither confirm nor deny the details of any plausible events which have occured in this space for the past thirty minutes."

Springfield's grin grew to a full-blown smile. "Neither of you are willing to divulge anything? Hm hm… Very well, keep your secrets. It is none of my business to know, I suppose." Just as quickly as she appeared, she vanished back where her husband rested.

Rose couldn't help but chuckle at the whole interaction, while WA2000 worked double-time to get rid of any evidence of her mishap, before another nose popped in to wonder the happenings of the recent past.

Unbeknownst to both of them, Springfield and Guildenstern were sharing a smirk with each other. Both were wide awake for the whole time period, and they knew that the operation was a go.

* * *

In the end, IWS had decided not to say goodbye to her fellow teammates in Echelon One. It was in front of her dorm room, where the heavy bass could be felt through the walls, that she decided that the goodbyes she had planned up to this moment were hollow. It wasn't like she wasn't ever going to see them again. The commander assured that when necessary, she'll fight again with the rest of her echelon. And she'll just go pick up whatever stuff she had left when there was no one to judge her. Her weapon was in the armory, so she didn't really have a pressing motive to enter her room anyways. Right?

She knew these were all just stupid excuses, but she didn't have the courage to follow-through. So she let go of any courage she had, stalked off, defeated by her cowardice, and left the door alone.

The door to the commander's quarters, however, was easy to open. She stormed inside. Unlike the office, the commander's quarters were neat and organized. Bookshelves held the multiple books in neat rows along two walls, with a modest lamp to cast a warm, homely glow on the two occupants of the room. The commander himself was reading in a cushy red armchair in the corner, either unaware or apathetic to IWS's presence. A bed, complete with two pillows and a large down comforter was placed near the back. A cot with a thin mattress with a even thinner pillow and a woolen blanket was placed near the door. IWS stood awkwardly near the entrance, then prepared to get ready for the night on the cot. The mattress was lumpy and stiff, and the woolen blanket scratchy, but it wasn't unbearable. IWS had inwardly feared that the commander would demand to make her sleep on the ground, or worse still, sleep together on the same bed.

IWS wondered what on earth it would mean to be an adjutant. Run around, with constant bags under her eyes, always harried around with a clipboard with infinite tasks to do without infinite time to do them all? Was it fate or misfortune that she'd be called in that one day and be chained to her commander for no fault of her own? IWS supposed it didn't really matter. Her duty was to serve, to the best of her ability, and in death.

IWS, however, was rudely interrupted by a sudden snore. The commander had fallen asleep deep in his book. IWS considered moving him to his cushy bed, but chose not to. Her hate and fear for the man was too strong to even consider touching him. Instead, she got up and turned off the lights, and found her way back to her cot. She laid on the cot for a while, then opted to sleep on the soft bed, which was miles more comfortable than what the cot or even the bed back in her dorm had to offer. She slept comfortably.

-0-

IWS woke up and immediately realized that something was terribly wrong. All of her senses screamed _irregular_ and IWS came to her senses quickly. What was wrong? What was wrong? She checked the time. It was eleven o' clock. Far later than she should have usually woken up. Where was the alarm? Why wasn't she woken up earlier? There was a handwritten note by the bed.

"Hey, IWS 2000:

I noticed that you seemed really comfortable in my bed when I woke up, so I decided to let you grab a few more hours of sleep. I found out that you're my new adjutant! That's pretty exciting. Just swing by my office when you're ready to start the day.

Commander."

IWS had to rub her eyes before reading again to ensure she wasn't dreaming. Then she ran out the door.

The commander was humming to himself a lively tune, cleaning up the mess that was his office. He felt that he should at least set a good example for his new adjutant. He had quite a lot to live up to now. It used to be just him, with Kalina popping in every now and then with logistics reports and the like. But now he had a permanent adjutant to help him out with anything he needed, like the report from yesterday had said. A good first step was cleaning up the mess in here.

IWS walked in just then, seeing the rather little progress being made in trying to organize the vast unholy tempest of papers and books around them. The commander waved a friendly and awkward hello, despite the fact that she was only five meters away from him, and continued moving stacks of books into slightly more organized piles. IWS noted the stark contrast between his behavior today compared to yesterday, as well as the very visible bags under his eyes, and felt a pang a guilt, and stooped down to assist him in his endeavors.

Lunch was served by Kalina, who brought it from the mess hall. So was dinner. Together, they managed to get the office seem more like an office rather than storage for papers and various books. The holographic table in the middle was able to create a hologram again, being unimpeded by papers on its different modules. The project took an entire day, but it was easier than any of the training exercises and logistics that IWS would normally undergo on a normal day, if she wasn't stuck with being the commander's adjutant. The commander himself looked pleased with the work done today, his hands on his hips and beaming. It reminded IWS a bit of a toddler stepping back to happily see the merits of his work.

The commander flushed and scratched his head after realizing how strange he seemed. "Thanks for all the hard work today, IWS."

"It was nothing." That much was true. Doing menial labor like this was child's work, even for a more delicate model like herself.

"Still, I'm glad that you're my adjutant. Really livens up the commander-ing experience rather than just sitting back and twiddling my thumbs all day long."

IWS merely shrugged and set down a stack of papers near the door, ready to be thrown away with all the other stacks.

The commander scratched his head again, and murmured, "If you don't mind, uh, IWS, I don't really mind that you're sleeping in my quarters, but do you think that I can sleep on the bed today? The cot was really hard to get sleep in, after waking up on the chair. I'll have to order another bed just for you, because I can't think of any way that cot can be comfortable for anyone."

It was IWS's turn to flush. Her own arrogance had been the reason that he had a sleepless night. Even if his other half was a complete twat, that didn't mean he had to suffer the actions for the other half. Kinda similar to her.

"It's no problem, commander. I can sleep on the cot tonight," IWS said.

"Really? I mean, if it's that uncomfortable, I'm sure that we can bring out another bed somewhere that's better than that rock—"

"It's fine. We can do it tomorrow, it's getting late."

So it has. It was almost midnight. Both the commander and IWS finished up their final tasks, and headed back to their quarters. IWS curled up on the cot, while the commander got ready for bed in the bathroom that was attached to the quarters. And as IWS settled to sleep, the commander smiled slightly, and started to jot down all the notes of today to the best of his ability down onto his journal for tomorrow.

* * *

A/N: I died. I've come back to die yet again. Hopefully I won't be dead for as long this time around. At least this chapter has some sort of length.

Also, please give reviews. I really do want to deliver the best story possible, and that isn't possible without feedback. Every review helps.

And as always, thanks for reading. Hopefully, next time.


	8. Chapter 8: Directive

Chapter 8: Directive

There were some days where Rose would count his blessings and call himself a lucky man. A good book, an easy day of work, or a tasty dinner was all that was necessary to make his day. Rose had, in fact, theorized that if his days were to be limited to nothing but the simple pleasures of life, he'd be the happiest person alive.

But a wrench was thrown into the works and now he was stuck with a happy-go-lucky couple and the epitome of tsundere. And in the face of such adversity, Rose was only capable of one coping mechanism: constant complaining to his one and only friend.

Guildenstern found the entire affair to be completely hilarious. Rose was always the stern and quiet type, so it was interesting to see different sides of personality other than the detached engineer with a sharp tongue. While Guild really did enjoy Rose's company, his reason for bringing Rose along on this road was slightly more dubious. Guild was slightly concerned that Rose's lack of personal connections was incredibly unhealthy and thought it best to help a coworker out via a baptism of fire with constant interpersonal contact in an enclosed space for the foreseeable future.

Guild would never admit it, but he also wanted to see Rose get a girlfriend. Springfield had wholeheartedly agreed with Guildenstern's sentiments. That's why Spring had invited one of _her_ coworkers along. It was a poorly hidden secret that the oblivious Rose and WA2000 would never find out.

But mark their words, Guild and Spring would do everything in their power to make them bond — whether they liked it or not.

—

Rose and WA2000 looked at their situation with inscrutable expressions on their faces. WA2000's face was pure red, once again, but it was unclear whether it stemmed from embarrassment, anger, or some mixture of the two. Rose's forehead and eyebrows were contorted in such a way that might occur if he watched someone strip naked and proceed to shit in a frying pan. Disbelief eventually gave way to reality; the fact of the matter was that there was only a single bed for two people.

That explained the giggling fit Guild and Spring had before wishing an exaggerated "Good night!" before turning in to their own hotel room.

Rose was absolutely done for today. He'd driven for several hours on end, and wanted nothing to do with the argument that was sure to bubble from the lack of sleeping commodities. He took a pillow and a couple sheets from the bed to sleep on the floor (as fortune would have it, there wasn't a couch either). Lo and behold, WA2000 cleared her throat.

Eyes half-lidded from exhaustion, Rose turned to face the disapproving gaze of WA2000. An awkward pause permeated the room before Rose popped the silence with a "Yes?"

"... on the floor." WA2000 mumbled.

"What?"

"You should take the bed, I'll sleep on the floor."

Oh my god. Rose did everything he could. He'd prayed to the silent gods from above, made careful calculations, and bet on his grandmother's corpse. And here they were, about to argue who was going to sleep on the floor.

Rose rubbed his forehead violently. "I really don't want to have this argument. I'm going to sleep on the floor. You sleep on the bed. Okay?"

WA2000's face got a bit redder (this is going to be a pattern, surprise, surprise). "You drove for several hours, and didn't get a chance to nap. You should get the bed."

"Look, I really don't give a shit where I sleep. I can sleep anywhere. I can sleep in a barn. I can sleep on the sidewalk. I can sleep in liquid cement. The floor is okay with me. Just take the bed." Rose was about to add " _Please"_ but decided against it.

"Are you saying that you would _prefer_ to sleep on the floor?"

"No — you know what, yeah! I love the floor! The floor is the best place to sleep! In fact, I don't even sleep on my bed at home! I sleep on the cold, hardwood floor because I _like_ it that way! You'd be doing me a _favor_ by taking the bed!" Rose was really regretting the direction that this conversation was taking in order to prove his point.

"Wh — what kind of forty-something year old man sleeps on the _floor_?"

" **I'm twenty-seven years old, excuse you!** "

"I think I can hypothesize why a twenty-seven year old looks forty-five! You should sleep on the bed! Your posture and wrinkles look terrible!"

" **Shut your bitch-ass mouth! You don't even** _ **age**_ **!** "

" **What did you call me?!** "

" **You heard me the first time! Fuck you!** "

" **Well, fuck you! Sleep in the fucking bed!** "

" **No, you!** "

" **NO, YOU!** "

Both Guildenstern and Springfield, both sharing their own bed, were listening to the bedlam with infinite calmness and inner peace.

"You know, love," Springfield whispered, only barely audible over the verbal explosive diarrhea, "I think that Rosencrantz and Wa-chan will be good friends. They work so well together!"

"Are you an ESP? Because you just read my mind!" Guildenstern giggled back.

The loving couple drifted happily asleep to the screaming-yelling of the various ad-hominems Rose and WA2000 could conjure against each others' appearance, parental units, pet goldfish, and. At least until they ran out of enough insults to hear the banging on the door with the not-so-friendly request to follow quiet hours.

— — —

The dingy breakfast following that night was mostly proceeded with complete science. Guild and Spring were extremely curious about how the night fared, but upon seeing the massive eyebags on both Rose and WA2000, wisely refrained from probing. It seemed as if the unlikely duo had seen an eldritch abomination, went on a month-long journey for a means to end him, and slay him with millions of casualties in collateral. Or if they collectively survived _The Ring_.

"Or maybe," Springfield said, interrupting Guild's creative imagination. "They got no sleep last night."

Yeah, it could be that too.

Still, neither Rose nor WA2000 seemed to be willing to elaborate on the events of last night. And try as they might, Guild and Spring were unable to pry out any details all through breakfast. It was only after the group checked out of the hotel did Rose do anything else than stare into the infinite abyss that no one else could see. He collapsed right on a bunk, fast asleep. WA2000 simply took a seat on the bunk across from where Rose had collapsed and curled up into a ball on her side.

Guild and Spring tried their best to rouse them from their catatonic states, but Rose was out cold, and WA2000 was muttering under her breath "neveragainneveragainneveragainneveragain—"

Even twelve hours down the road, when Rose eyebags shrunk to merely insomnia-size and WA2000 was capable of coherent speech, memories of That Night were mutually understood to be left behind in the hotel room miles behind them.

—-

IWS began to fall into a pattern of normality under the commander. The routine was always the same: Kalina would bring in reports, the commander would read them, and IWS would organize them for future reference and record-keeping. IWS wrote directives as dictated by the commander, and passed them on to Kalina, who would then spread it to the base. Like clockwork in a Swiss watch.

Outside of this work, the commander and IWS had plenty of downtime. As per the agreement, IWS rarely left the office. Meals were brought and then taken away at given intervals, so there was nothing wanting. So IWS whiled away her time reading some of the books on the shelves. The commander was always muttering to himself while writing in that little notebook of his, but IWS was never able to figure out what he was saying nor what he was writing.

But that mean man rarely showed his appearance during this time. It was quite honestly a blessing. The kind person was far more considerate of IWS than that childish punk who demanded things like a manchild. But during this time of ease IWS couldn't help but think about what exactly was going on with the commander.

The entire situation was so convoluted, IWS didn't know what to make of it. But it seemed that the docile commander was in control most of the time, and he rarely did anything that was offensive. He always kept inside, but was never busy. He was always lost in what he should be doing, but usually ended up picking up one of the multiple books scattered around and absent-mindedly flipping through the pages. IWS wondered how anything was done on time at all. Reports were skimmed and then unceremoniously dumped in some pile on the desk. Once all the space on the desk was filled and then some, places near the desk began to become utterly littered with all sorts of papers. Aside from the one time that they cleaned up the entire place, nothing was being done. IWS was thoroughly confused on how the base was run, but that's none of her business. So she just read her book.

On occasion when the terrible man decided to show him himself, he'd excuse himself and do god-knows-what out and about. At least he kept his desk and reports relatively organized. But IWS was never permitted to leave the room, as ordered. She wondered what was going on outside, and how everyone from her echelon was doing. She didn't get to know them much, but she missed them already. IWS didn't think that dolls had it in them to get all fidgety and restless, but apparently prolonged isolation wound up her gears pretty tight. She took to pacing the room over and over, past the scattered papers and dog-eared books, over the stacks of outdated reports, an occasional plate or tray. She picked up a book and found herself rereading the same paragraph fourteen times in a row.

IWS was the true definition of a trophy rifle. Just sit there and look pretty. She thought maybe she'd help a little with administrative work, like how Kalina handled all the logistical affairs. But apparently the base didn't need the help of her useless butt. So it was that she realized that her purpose here was limited. Sit here and look pretty. Sit. Look. Maybe she was going insane.

So she sunk into the little couch, bit by bit, surrounded by the dog-eared works of various philosophers and other highly educated nonsense. And she waited for something, anything to happen to take her tedium away.

A/N: Alright, guys, this has been long too late. Like all these months? Inexcusable. I impaled myself on this notion of perfection and what do I have to show for it? Seven pages of work that could've been perfectly workable but I chose to shoot myself in the foot. So I'm releasing this chapter now. I hope many of you haven't gone away yet. I know this beginning has been a rough journey, both schedule-wise and plot-wise, but I plan on having a satisfactory ending for everyone involved. Just finish this, that's all I hope for. I hope to see y'all next chapter. :)


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